Real-Time Uncertainty Estimation of Odometric Trajectory as a Function of the Actual Manoeuvres of Autonomous Guided Vehicles

This paper presents the description of a novel uncertainty estimation method employed for the navigation of autonomous guided vehicles. In the proposed algorithm the uncertainty of the odometric navigation system is estimated as a function of the actual manoeuvre being carried out, which is identified by navigation data itself. The result is a recursive method for estimating the evolution of spatial uncertainty which takes into account the unknown systematic effects. The method is explained starting from the measurement models and its parameters as a function of the actual manoeuvres. Experimental verification was carried out using an autonomous vehicle. Compatibility between a reference environment referred system and the uncertainty estimated by the proposed method was achieved 95% of the trials